North Carolinians killed in Baltimore fire

Flames engulfed an east Baltimore row house early Tuesday, killing three children and three adults, and the blaze spread to adjacent homes, forcing families to flee in the cold.

Firefighters were called to the scene around 4:45 a.m. and found a two-story brick home on fire, Baltimore fire department spokesman Kevin Cartwright said.

Firefighters initially attacked the flames from the interior, but wind gusts intensified the blaze and forced them to retreat, Cartwright said. Wind gusts in the area at the time were between 30-40 mph, the National Weather Service reported.

ABC11 has learned two of the adults killed grew up in Roxboro and they have many friends and family members in North Carolina - including in Durham, Person, and Caswell counties.

Linda Bailey is a sister and aunt to some of the victims. Losing a family member is difficult, but she has lost six.

"You look at it on the news, you get the phone call, and it still hasn't hit me yet. They are gone. So many at one time," she said.

Bailey is one of ten kids in the Person County family. Fire victim Elnora Satterfield is one of her older sisters. "El" as the called her was married to Richard Satterfield for 50 years. Richard also perished in the fire.

Bailey spent plenty of time in their Baltimore home.

"She was just like everybody's second mom. You always went to El and Uncle Richards' home. That's where everybody went. That was the meeting place," said Bailey.

In addition to the Satterfields, the fire also claimed their granddaughter and three great-grandchildren.

The granddaughter, Tiara Gholston, would have turned 27 next week.

"They were wonderful," said niece and cousin Monique Clemons.

Although 300 miles apart, Clemons of Durham, and her cousin were close.

"We try to get together when we can. We spent summers together. We spent birthdays together," she said.

And even though they're gone, she says she'll never forget them.

"They've made it to heaven," she said. "And one day I will see them again."

Fire investigators and arson detectives were working to determine the cause of the fire. The victims were believed to have died of smoke inhalation, although the State Medical Examiner's Office will make the final determination.